1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a slot machine which uses pachinko balls as game media. This invention also relates to a pachinko ball dispensing or paying-out machine for paying-out a certain number of pachinko bails as a prize or repaying pachinko balls unused when a game is over.
2. Description of the Related Art
A slot machine which uses pachinko bails as game media has been proposed and used in a game parlor. In this kind of a slot machine, the economical value of a medal, which has previously been used as a game medium, and that of a pachinko ball are not considered to be equal. Thus, when using the pachinko balls as the game media, the number of pachinko bails corresponding to one game, which costs one medal, are inserted into the slot machine when the player pushes down a ball inserting operator. Further, the number of pachinko balls having an economical value corresponding to one medal is referred to as "exchange rate" in this specification. However, this means that the economical values are of equal value; it does not mean whether the medal and the pachinko balls are actually exchangeable.
The inserted pachinko balls are counted by a pachinko ball detecting section and then collected in a ball collecting tank. The collected balls are then sent up to a top plate by a lift-send apparatus.
This kind of game machine is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) 3-68382.
However, the number of pachinko balls inserted at once is fixed and cannot be changed in this kind of slot machine. Thus, when the exchange rate of one medal and one pachinko ball is changed, the ball inserting operator and other related mechanisms accordingly have to be changed extensively, giving the problem of a rise in cost.
In this kind of slot machine and the like which uses pachinko balls as game media, a pachinko ball dispensing machine (i.e. a ball counter) is a must. This kind of pachinko ball dispensing machine (structure) is shown in FIG. 21.
The pachinko balls are conveyed through the pipe-like ball guide 9. On the way through said ball guide 9, a sprocket 4' is rotatably set in a position so as to partly project into a ball path 90. Around the sprocket 4', concave portions 40 are formed with which pachinko balls can engage, one by one. As the pachinko balls flow through the ball path 90, they come into engagement with the concave portions 40 sequentially and rotate the sprocket 4'.
The rotational angle of the sprocket 4' is controlled by operating a stopper 106 onto a ratchet 5' fixedly connected to the sprocket 4' and having the same axis as the sprocket 4'.
However, this kind of structure has the following problems.
There are a lot of technical difficulties in previously constructing the sprocket 4' and the ratchet 5' as one body such as in FIG. 22, and there is a problem that the manufacturing cost becomes expensive.
On the other hand, when the separately constructed sprocket 4' and ratchet 5' are connected as one, and then fixed to a frame body 101, a complicated fixing operation is needed taking a lot of time. For example, one manufactured body such as the sprocket 4' assembly possibly interferes with other members, such as the stopper 106, making the operation troublesome.